Average GPA of Grad School Admits?

[tiyusufaly]

Hi there,

Does anyone know if there's a place where one can get the average GPA's of students admitted to different physics graduate programs? I'm interested in both overall and physics GPA.

If there is no one definite list, some of the programs I'd be interested in having particular statistics about include: Berkeley, Chicago, Columbia, NYU, Cornell, Illinois, Maryland, UPenn, Washington, Texas, Ohio State, and Michigan.

Thank you.

 

[Euclid]

http://www.gradschoolshopper.com/
This site is as far as I know the most comprehensive information you will find on a schools stats. If you want more info, you'll probably have to know someone or (gasp) use a phone.

 

[HungryChemist]

Also try
http://www.physicsgre.com/forum/index3.html

you can tons of admission information as long as profile of admitted and rejected applicants.

 

[ktm]

http://www.gradschoolshopper.com/
This site is as far as I know the most comprehensive information you will find on a schools stats. If you want more info, you'll probably have to know someone or (gasp) use a phone.

Under the subject drop-down menu, there's no option for mathematics. =(

Not that this matters to the OP, since he's asking about physics, but eh...

 

[tiyusufaly]

I don't see GPA listed under the school information pages...

 

[Euclid]

Not all schools give out that info. Like I said, you'll have to work for it if you want more info.

 

[SuperStringboy]

At berkeley you need minimum GPA 3 for Grad Admission. I found at Berkeley website yesterday. Do not know others

 

[PowerIso]

My adviser told me that if you plan to go to grad school, keep a minimum of 3.25 but try to keep around a 3.5 or above.

 

[SuperStringboy]

My adviser told me that if you plan to go to grad school, keep a minimum of 3.25 but try to keep around a 3.5 or above.

Thats right !

 

[Asphodel]

Note that the statistic is much less useful than the physics GPA, which is more likely to get used to quickly chop off some percentage of the applicant pool. Even then...unless it's really horrible, many admissions committees are going to look at the transcript in a little more detail before deciding you suck and should go away, as well as looking at other things like research experience, recommendations, whether you've been successfully working in industry for a few years.

They're trying to predict who will end up being a successful grad student. Your grades reflect on your academic performance, but it's a "known issue" that they're a form of measurement with a high degree of uncertainty and no real standardization. Grades won't (usually) get you denied without any chance to prove yourself - and likewise they won't get anyone in without further questions!

 

[squanto_huge]

It seems that grades matter significantly less for grad than for undergrad admissions. Advisors in undergrad tend to make the proverbial "bar" appear much higher, and understandably so. Applied experience seems to be a factor of comparable importance.

 

[Sound Of Wisdom]

How to convert GPA to percentage grades? i mean: 3.25 or 3.5 GPA = X% ?
Regards

 

[symbolipoint]

How to convert GPA to percentage grades? i mean: 3.25 or 3.5 GPA = X% ?
Regards

The scale from 0 to 4.0(?) ranges in letter grades from F,D,C,B,A. You are then looking at a ratio of the GPA to 4. This is possibly not strictly correct if someone participates in a system which allows GPA to be over 4. (of course, "GPA" multiplied by 100, and then divided by 4 is what you are asking for as percent.)

 

[quadraphonics]

One thing to watch out for on the stats is that there is a huge difference in the GPA and GRE scores of admits that are US citizens vs. those who are not. The foreigners tend to come in with more-or-less perfect stats, while US students have much lower numbers. So, for programs with a high percentage of foreign students, the numbers maybe not be all that informative.

Also, regardless of all that, GPA and test scores matter much, much less if you have the ear of a professor that wants to work on research with you. But if you're just applying cold, without an "in," you'll want to post very impressive stats if you hope to get into competitive programs. Almost all decent grad schools will have a 3.0 minimum GPA to even consider an application. So, if your GPA is below that, definitely work meeting and impressing some profs in departments you're interested in.

 

[arunma]

It seems that grades matter significantly less for grad than for undergrad admissions. Advisors in undergrad tend to make the proverbial "bar" appear much higher, and understandably so. Applied experience seems to be a factor of comparable importance.

Really? I've noticed that quite the opposite is true. Undergraduate admissions committees do have minimum standards, but I've observed that grad school admissions committees tend to look far more strongly at grades, specifically physics grades. For example, I had a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, but my physics & math GPA was ~3.4, and somehow I got in. I don't know anyone with bad grades who got in anywhere. Of course I also had research experience, so I'm sure this is a significant factor too.

 

[CaptainQuaser]

top physics schools in general in my experience won't look at an application under a 3.5, most accept students with 3.75-4.0. I squeaked into one with good references and a 3.7, but they were concerned with my low marks.

 

[Asphodel]

They'll look, but it definitely makes it harder. Also, grades from the most recent period tend to be emphasized more than the overall GPA (a 3.2 CGPA with a 3.8 over the last year is probably viewed as good, while a 3.8 CGPA with a 3.2 over the last year may be pretty bad).

 

[Sound Of Wisdom]

The scale from 0 to 4.0(?) ranges in letter grades from F,D,C,B,A. You are then looking at a ratio of the GPA to 4. This is possibly not strictly correct if someone participates in a system which allows GPA to be over 4. (of course, "GPA" multiplied by 100, and then divided by 4 is what you are asking for as percent.)

look I've just graduated with GPA 3.5/5 or 85% , grade A (GPA in university scale from 1 to 5 )
what is the corresponding GPA X/4 ?